When I first started learning how to program as a kid, it was because I wanted to make a video game. I started using a program called “Game Maker” to make a clone of my favorite series “Megaman”. Of course I failed horribly. The character sprites weren’t lined up correctly, causing the image to shake. After a jump, my character would land and then float off into the air and off screen. My collision detection was copy and pasted, so I had no idea why my character was phasing through the wall some ghost. After finding out I’m not as smart as I thought I was, I decided to set my sights lower.
The next day I decided to make a vertical shooter game (also known as a shoot-em-up or “SHMUP”). Once again I failed horribly. Enemies were spawning in the middle of the screen. The player’s bullet destroyed the player when it spawned. The player could fly off the screen and it was impossible to come back. Enemies would either phase through the player, or cause the game to crash. I didn’t even know how to program proper movement. At this point, I was extremely frustrated. I thought programming was magic. I decided, once again, to set my sights lower.
Eventually, after many attempts to try and make my dream game, I found success in making Pong. The bar was set so low, it was set at one of the easiest game you could possible make. I remember it being extremely boring to make and not very engaging, but it was something. I finally made something playable and complete. My first completed project was Pong.
What I’m trying to say can be summed at with a quote by Jerri Blank from “Strangers with Candy”:
"If you're gonna reach for a star, reach for the lowest one you can."
Maybe Jerri isn’t quite right, but I think it’s wisest to shoot for something that’s challenging but you’re still capable of accomplishing. I learned not tackle something that I am clearly not ready for. Take baby steps and ease on to more challenging things, otherwise you are setting yourself up for failure. This has been true in regards to many points in my life. Learning takes time, and you’re never going to be amazing right away.